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Let’s pretend for a minute: It’s early September and you’re shopping at your local super-complex mall. It’s a standard mall, with dozens of stores accessible to you. Everything seems normal until a lady opens the door to let her dog inside when suddenly almost everyone around you is suddenly a zombie: a brain hungry, blood-soaked zombie. That’s basically what happens to our hero, Frank West in the game: Dead Rising. While this isn’t a Horror Gaming segment, we’re actually going to be talking about the upcoming Crackle film, based on the hit video game series: Dead Rising. Allow me to give a bit of a back story – the game’s story centers on the character Frank West – a photojournalist who ends up trapped inside the Willamette Parkview shopping mall, found in the made up town found in Colorado. The twist of this particular story is that the whole mall is crawling with zombies, which means Frank must defend himself from zombie attacks; all while trying to rescue survivors, deal with crazed psychopaths, and ultimately, stay alive while attempting to uncover the truth behind where the zombies came from.. If it wasn’t obvious enough, the player plays as Frank as he explores the mall, [in it’s entirety] wearing all sorts of wacky costumes, and using just about any available object as a weapon against the zombies! [anything from guns from the gun shop, to canoe paddles from the boating goods store] Also, because Frank is a photojournalist, the player can choose to complete several main [and tons ofoptional] missions to earn Prestige Points which can be used to gain special abilities. However, my favorite part of the game is the fact that it’s designed to have several endings, which are chosen depending on the decisions that the player makes through out playing the game. It really adds to the replay ability factor!

But enough of the game, like I said at the beginning of this post; we’re here to talk about Dead Rising:Watchtower, the movie based on the game series, which is coming to Crackle on March 27th of this year. Now, although this isn’texactly new news to the horror fans of the world, we actually got the trailer for this film two days ago. and honestly, it looks..unique: Which might be a good or bad thing. but, being as I’m slow, and I’ve been working [both in the stock roomand the new job!] I’m only getting around to seeing the trailer today! [I’m usually caught up with these kinds of things, sheesh!] This movie version of Dead Rising takes place during a large scale zombie outbreak. But when a mandatory government vaccine [known as “Zombrex”, which is taken directly from the game]fails to stop the infection from spreading, four survivors have to avoid becoming infected while also trying to track down the root cause of the epidemic: with all signs pointing to a government conspiracies! Politics, public paranoia, and media coverage are also said to play an important role in the movie’s main storyline, which is somewhat promising, right?

Of course, like any movie; it’s also important to cast the right people for the roles they’re filling. think about people like Bruce Campbell as Ash, or Robert Englund as Freddy – These people embody these roles so fucking perfectly. It’s hard to imagine any one else! [cough* ANOES remake cough*] This is where I start to go from Watchtower feeling like a “unique” film to: “oh God, this is gonna be strange..” Look at the following picture of Frank West, remember; he’s the main character, below: if you had to choose an actor to play him for the movie, who would you choose?

Mel Gibson? Ethan Hawke? Someone else? The correct answer for who we aregetting though as Frank West is none other than Rob Riggle – y’know, that guy from the 21 Jump Street remake! I’m not entirely sure I know how I feel about this part of the casting, but it’s something that I’ll have to see for myself. He’s a funny actor, and I’m sure he can play a funny character: like Frank is supposed to be; I just imagine two separate types of humor between Frank and Riggle.

At the end of the day though, I really can’t say whether or not I’m excited for this movie: I’m a fan of the first two games [never played the third, sadly] but as a movie; I’m not entirely sure if it’ll translate well. As I said before, it’s coming to the free streaming service Crackle by the end of March, so maybe I’ll watch it [at least ‘try’] – just because I didn’t have to pay for it. Who knows? Maybe it’ll be a decent zombie flick, and I’m just cynical. Check out the trailer for Dead Rising: Watchtower below and let me know in the comments if you‘ll be watching this movie, or if it’s a senseless cash-in for a quick buck.

Whenever I write a “horror gaming” segment on here, I tend to choose games that have been released already, usually ones that have been around for a fair share of time. However, today’s edition changes that. Today, we’re going to be talking about a game that isn’t released yet, but still has enough of a grab on my attention: Friday The 13th. To give a slight back story, there hasn’t been a Friday The 13th game since LJN‘s NES game that was based on the 80’s movie. [if you really wanted to – you can actually play the classic NES game online here:just click “play now!” on the page] But if what I’ve read is true, this is allgoing to change this coming year..

According to Friday The 13th creator Sean S.Cunningham, a new game based on the film is in the process of being made by an “experienced game studio” that he left unnamed. He mentioned that this new game is slated to be released in October 2015, and that the best part of all this? Unlike the [not scary at all] NES game, this version of Friday The 13th: The Video Game is said to feature a team of “resourceful survivors” who will be going up against a “player-controlled” Jason Voorhees in an co-operative and/or competitive multiplayer environment! Talk about awesome

Based on the fact that it’s planned for October, the game seems to be planned to go along with with the upcoming Friday The 13th TV series – yeah, that’s a thing – and the newest installment in the film series Friday The 13th 2015. [which is being released November 13th, 2015] Although the game hasn’t been “officially” announced to the world as of yet, The game looks like it’s going to be keeping with Jason‘s appeal, as proven by a piece of the game’s concept art which shows how the game is seemingly going to play out. This concept art though, kind of reminds me of the Left4Dead games somewhat, with it’s two “good guys” holding weapons in hiding, while Jason – player 1 – is lurking around the corner.. The thing I’m excited for is the fact that evenJason is controlled by a player – instead of the usual, and typical, computer controlled villain. It actually seems that horror games have been gaining attention lately, with games such as Dead Space, Slender, [don’t even get me started on that topic] F.E.A.R, – and the one I haven’t played yet, but need to pick up – The Evil Within; all being increasingly popular. I’m glad that this is a trend that’s picking up. I think a little fear is healthy – especially when it comes to video games. [agree? disagree? sound off in the comments!]

But enough about what I think. How do you feel about the idea of a newFriday The 13th game? Does it look like a horror fan’s dream game, or just something that is a senseless cash-in in the world of slasher films/games? Let me know in the comments! Also, warrenisweirdis on Facebook, so check me out over there and smash that “like” button for exclusive news/trivia! There’s just one more question that remains: will you defeat Jason when the time arrives? Only one way to find out!

What would you say if I were to mention a mad scientist named Doctor Tongue? and what would you say if I said he created a ton of monsters inside his evil castle, only to unleash them on nearby suburban areas – terrorizing the innocent civilians? Throw in two teenage friends into the mix, who had just witnessed these attacks from said monsters and thus decide that they must save their neighbors from certain death. Well, I’d say you’re probably playing a game from my childhood: Zombies Ate My Neighbors. This game is known as a “run and gun” game, which essentially means what it sounds like – basically, just run around and shoot the fuck out of enemies! It was developed by LucasArts [who are known for the Star Wars games] and was actually published by Konami[who later went on to make the Silent Hill games] for both The Super Nintendo and The Sega Genesis back in 1993.. I was [and still am] a Nintendo fan at large, so naturally; I played it over on the SNES!

The player[s] take control of heroes Zeke and Julie [see above] for the sole purpose of rescuing the neighbors from both monsters and zombies from classic horror movies. Aiding them in this task are a variety of weapons [such as the water gun in Zeke‘s hands, or even cans of soda..as grenades!] that can be used to battle the numerous enemies. The game has elements and various aspects of horror movies [which are referenced in the game – more on this later.] and because of this, some of the more violent content had been censored in certain parts of the world, such as in Europe and Australia, where the game is known only as Zombies. Another cool thing is that although it wasn’t as huge of a success, Zombies Ate My Neighbors also spawned a sequel, calling itself Ghoul Patrol re-starring both Zeke and Julie who find themselves traveling through five [new] worlds to save their town from a horror exhibit come to life. This sequel was released a year later in 1994. [I never got to play the sequel, sadly]

Back to Zombies though, Our titular characters have to navigate through neighborhoods, shopping malls, pyramids and haunted castles. Along the way, they find themselves fighting against a variety of horror-movie monsters, including [but not limited to] a vampire, werewolves, huge demonic babies, [seriously though] squid-men, evil dolls[that are identical to Chucky], aliens, UFOs, giant ants, blobs, giant worms, and of course: zombies. The other awesome in-game referencing horror movies are the level titles. Below, I’ve written a list of the level names, along with the bonus levels. [try and see how many horror references you catch!]

In each of above the 55 + stages, the player[s] have the goal of rescuing the surviving neighbors by walking into them, thereby “saving them”. When all the neighbors are “saved” [or killed, though at least one neighbor has to be saved] a door will open which brings you to the next stage. If the player does not find a neighbor in fast enough time, an enemy willkill them when walked into, stopping them from being saved for the rest of the level. [or until you’ve received an “Extra Bonus Victim” token] Each level has [at most] ten neighbors to save, and each neighbor type is worth a different amount of points, which is broken down into sections below:

Ultimately, the game Zombies Ate My Neighbors is totally worth your while: it has tongue-in-cheek humor, it has horror, and it has awesome competitive play for you and your friends! If you have a Nintendo Wii and a credit card, the game is on the Virtual Channel for only 800 points! [which equals out to roughly $8.00] So do yourself a favor, and pick this game up: you won’t be disappointed!

surprisingly, this is the art that was used for the Mexican box-art of Zombies Ate My Neighbors. I’d love to have this framed and put behind my TV!

While there are already sevenSilent Hill games before this one; Shattered Memories is the one of the only ones I’ve actually beaten all the way through, at least more than once. One thing to consider while playing is that Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is a remake/re-imagining of the firstSilent Hill game. The game came out for Wii/Playstation2/Playstation Portable but for the sake of this post — I’m going by the one I have, since it’s the only version of it I’ve played: the Wii edition. Our story begins like any other Silent Hill game, a person [it’s been both a man and a woman in the past] and their daughter driving, until an accident spins them out of control. It’s only when the individual wakes from the accident, that you have the realization that your daughter is gone and you’re in a deserted town called “Silent Hill”. While I’m sure the game is more or less the same over each port, I like the version on the Wii mainly because when you’re playing, you use the Wii-Remote as a flashlight/cellphone moving the controller around like an actual tool you need. If that wasn’t enough to feel like you’re becoming the character, when you boot up the game and it’s loading, you get this on your screen: I remember first seeing that ‘warning’ and wondering just what was I getting myself into. It almost make me nervous to play because I’ve never seen anything like it when playing a video game. As it turns out, during certain points of the game, [it feels like an interactive cutscene] you are in an office re-telling a psychologist what you went through in Silent Hill — asking questions like “have you ever cheated on a lover?” or even “did you really love your daughter?” to which you shake the controller up and down to say “yes” or shake left and right to say “no”. He also has you pick cards from a deck and other strange things but these choices in-game are important: as they determine what the game does to you..becoming, quite literally, your own personal nightmare.

yep, yep, yep, and maybe?

The game has a couple endings; so by answering “tests”, like the one above, the game basically creates a custom game based on how you respond. I remember the game being really emotional the first time I played it, being that my ending was that Harry — the main character you play as — had killed his wife and daughter, and after realizing what he had done: killed himself. The whole game, I was a “supposed” spirit who had disconnected himself, trying to find his daughter due to regret. As for the whole psychologist part? turns out [according to my play through] it was the psychologist trying to piece together what Harry had said to him during their sessions before all this happened! [before he snapped] I mean, What. The. Fuck. So if you like horror gaming and you feel that you can handle the suspense, definitely give Shattered Memories a go, just be sure to answer as truthfully as you can during the psychologist’s questions — it definitely amps up the creepy-factor. There’s also a new “Silent Hills” playable trailer out for Playstation4, so if you get the chance; you should totally Youtube that! And this post concludes “horror gaming”, at least for now– but who knows? It just may come back another day. But for now, new posts will be about what I know best, horror films and “film studies”, etc!

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It’s always tough to make a game based on a movie, am I right? especially if it’s based on a series that spanned over seven films by it’s release. If the wasn’t difficult enough, how the hell are you supposed to make a game based around someone in “death traps” and then what happens next? Well, for that reason, today on “horror gaming” — I’m bringing up SAW and SAW II: FLESH AND BLOOD!

Like last time, the SAW games are available for both Xbox360 and Playstation3 so if I’ve caught your attention enough; they’re fairly cheap now. But the question is why? Why were they so badly overlooked? Was it because SAW is considered “torture porn”? Maybe, but the games were actually decent, at least for what they were. I’m going to try and explain this the best I can, without getting too confusing. As explaining the differences/similarities between the games and films can be kind of tricky. sigh. Okay, here we go;

The first game takes place between the movies: SAW and SAW II. You play as Detective Tapp, who we last heard — was obsessing over the death of his partner Sing and doing everything to apprehend Jigsaw. The game however, [which I presume starts at the end of the first movie] starts with Tapp in a reverse bear trap [similar to the one Amanda wore in the first film] and already you’re up to the challenge of getting him out of it: rotating the joystick counterclockwise and pushing the corresponding button flashing in the corner. When you finally get the device off, is where the game begins [see what I did there??]

It’s in that moment you realize you’re locked in what looks like public bathroom. and although the lighting is quite terrible, you find a lighter on a table nearby, which becomes is your light-source for about 95% of the entire game! when you make your way to the door to exit — it’s [naturally] locked with a combination lock. The code is found painted backward on the doors to the bathroom stalls and you need to close them all and look in the mirror to read it and get the fuck out!

Now that’s all I’m going to say about the beginning [I’m not writing this as a walk-through haha] but as for story-line you come across quite a few news files [which are collectibles] which tie the game you’re playing to the films. Mentioning names from various SAW characters [old and new, including Tapp‘s son?] and what they have been doing. Throughout the game however, each chapter is divided by a person’s name; which is the person you have to save in each chapter. The final game chapter, is titled only as TAPP. Which I took as symbolism for “saving yourself”. I won’t say much, but I will say one thing — that ending is pretty extreme. even for a game based on SAW.

The secondSAW game is where the extremities really stepped up. It’s a direct sequel to the first game, as you now play as Tapp‘s son, Michael. [but not before doing some crazy opening knife cutting sequence, which looks exactly like the opening to the film SAW II and works the same way as the start of the first game] While you’re not put in a reverse bear trap, like your father, you’re stuck in a train shaft [at least that’s what I thought it was..] and have push gated barriers out of the way, creating an opening to exit through — almost like a reverse Tetris. As with the first game, you come across people to save and files to collect, but this time around you get to collect seven Billy dolls, one in each chapter of the game — probably symbolizing the seven movies, the catch is that each one is hidden behind the most difficult of traps.

The ending to SAW II: FLESH AND BLOOD was much more of a higher note than the first SAW game. While still fairly extreme in story telling, it wasn’t as depressing to see, making you question if helping the people in the first game was really worth it.

If I had to choose FLESH AND BLOOD was definitely the superior game, both in fear, and in quality. In the end, it’s still “game over” as there were only two games, and probably no chance at a third. [correct me if I’m wrong!]

Also, if you’re still interested in more SAW, that the first SAW movie is going to [select] theatres on October 31st 2014 to celebrate it’s ten-year anniversary date! finally, don’t forget to join me tomorrow for my final “horror gaming” sequence, before we go back to scary movies until Halloween! Tomorrow’s game is none other than the SILENT HILL series!!

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going through my extensive collection of video games, I came across one in particular that I haven’t played in a long time, but definitely feel the need to start up again: SPLATTERHOUSE. it’s a horror stylized game which I think deserves more praise than it probably actually received on launch. Although I know there was already three classic SPLATTERHOUSE games, the version I’m going to be talking about is the 2010 remake for Xbox360/Playstation3. As with the movies I talk about, take it as a general rule that there will be spoilers about. So put on your Terror Masks and hold on tight Rick-o, cause this is gonna be a fucking bloodbath!

In game, you follow the story of Rick Taylor and his girlfriend Jennifer. [above] They’re on their way to what can only be described as the creepiest [but coolest] looking mansion, as Jennifer was offered an internship with the [evil] scientist inside. When the two lovers arrive, they are almost immediately attacked by these grossly disfigured beasts, and Jennifer is taken away; all while Rick — that’s you — is blacking out in a puddle of your own blood, left for dead.

When you finally come to, [granted, you’re on the verge of death..] you hear a voice calling Rick‘s name; reminding him that Jennifer needs his help, and the only way to save her is to put the Terror Mask [as seen above] on. The mask, which you learn was the one talking, mentions that you’re going to go through a painful transformation; but you’ll be given the power to save your love. The twist is, you have to kill the monstrous beasts from earlier — along with many others, collecting their blood. [you know, cause the mask asked you to; completely normal] when Rick puts the mask on, he completely changes.. into this new “form” :

Only then do you get to pick up your controller actually and play, starting with the objective of killing a bunch of monsters! [everything mentioned above is the opening cutscene] the story of the game is fairly extreme, with tie-ins to other horror films! one particular level — in the boiler room, if you look carefully enough you can actually see a Freddy glove on top of a furnace, making it my favorite little easter egg in game. There’s also a lot of reference to The Wicker Man[the original film, sorry Nic Cage!] especially during the game’s final cutscene.

There’s also a fuck-ton of collectibles too, like different weapons, references to the original three 16bit SPLATTERHOUSE games, [which you actually unlock after beat the main story, which is fucking awesome!] and saving the best for last — Jennifer‘s pictures. For those who haven’t played SPLATTERHOUSE, one thing you’ll notice during cutscenes is that Jennifer seems to love taking pictures of herself with Rick, but it also seems of herself. As you collect pieces of her pictures in the different levels [you have to find them, sometimes they’re hidden!] you piece together her ‘shots’. as you unlock more and more pieces, they become fairly NSFW as well! what do I mean? let me just show you: [there is over 10 pictures to complete]

So in the end, SPLATTERHOUSE is a fucking awesome game — especially for us horror fans. The boss battles are extremely violent, the kills are gorier than even some movies I’ve seen, and the references to cult classics just make the game even more enjoyable. If those three reasons aren’t enough, there’s unlockable boobs, and classic 16bit games to play too. Join me for my next edition of “horror gaming” when I tackle a game that friends have asked me loads about — the infamous SAW games. [also available on Xbox360/Playstion3]

As the title implies, I was a little late on downloading the demo for the new Super Smash Brothers game for WiiU/3DS. But as of a day or two ago, I can officially say it’s on my 3DS[even though the demo came out on Thursday, last week] in this post, I’m going to share what I thought about the SM4SH demo. Cause I think it is going to be the best SSB3D yet!

For starters, I wanted to point out that I’ve been waiting on a Smash Bros to become portable for a long time — I’m sure I’m not alone. It is certainly something that feels overdue, and I cannot wait to be able to bring one of my favorite non-canon Nintendo games ‘on the go’!
Secondly, is the amount of characters. There is a fuckington of characters in this version of Smash. Obviously, there’s the originals from the older games returning, such as Mario and Link but with newcomers like PAC-MAN or the fucking DUCK HUNT DOG — this game is getting bigger and bigger; characters, levels and all! I mean Tomodachi Life[which is a game I cannot get enough of lately] is a level in this game! though, you’ll have to wait for the full game release to play it.

Lastly, the demo itself — like most of the demos on the 3DS e-shop, when you download Super Smash Bros’ demo you get 30 plays: meaning exiting and re-opening the game demo. When ‘in’ the demo, you can play as much as you want. As it’s just a demo — you can only play as Link, Mario, Villager [Animal Crossing], Pikachu, and Megaman. You only can battle on Battlefield for it, but it’s almost perfect for what you’re playing for. As someone who plays mainly as Link, I’m totally stoked for the new costume color alternates in SM4SH too; because if you go through Link‘s alternates, you get this guy:

fucking. Fierce. Deity. Link. I have been waiting for him to appear in these games for a long time; even as just an alternate color for Link. [is it that obvious that Majora’s Mask is my favorite Zelda game? come on with the 3D remake Nintendo!] I can promise that will be the only “version” of Link I will play as!

It kinda shocked me when I saw all over the Internet calling Super Smash Bros for WiiU/3DS, ‘SM4SH’ — like I’ve been calling it here. But oddly enough, it suits it. I was skeptical about a Smash Bros game on a handheld [when I think Smash Bros, I think ‘console gaming’] but I’m actually loving it! — even if it’s just a demo for now. The actual game launches in a few weeks [pretty sure it’s October 03, 2014] and I can promise I will be getting a copy..though maybe not first day.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since the firstSuper Smash Bros game on the N64 was released. I had a copy of it [pretty sure my cousin has it — and he’s in Alberta..] and it was easily one of my favorite multiplayer game as a kid. As the games evolved, I got every version [Melee, Brawl] as they released. This one is no different, though I have to get the 3DS one [which is totally fine] since I do not have a WiiU — yet. When the game does release, maybe I’ll try to add my Player Code on here [perhaps in a post?] so we could battle!

So what did you think of the demo? Assuming you have a 3DS and you did download it. If not, have you played any of the other three “Smash” games? Who would you consider your “main”? Let me know in a comment or two!

When you think of the term “video game”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Call Of Duty? QBert? [points to you if you know QBert] For most of us, gaming didn’t really become a thing until the NES, or better known as Nintendo Entertainment System. One of my fondest gaming memories is playing Super Mario Brothers on the NES with my cousin and my sister, it was a great way to escape the harsh realities of being a kid; with such struggles like homework, life at home, or [in my case] dealing with bullies. It was through the Mario Brothers that made me feel like I was invincible [and not just because of the Star ingame]

As I grew older, so did my gaming consoles — I eventually began ‘evolving’ as a gamer. These gaming systems became [and still are to this date] something special to me, helping me delve deeper into a world that makes you feel special, or important. Video games for me only really started taking ahold of me in grade 4 – which was when I got my Nintendo 64. Look in the collage above, do you see it? here let me make it easier for you: [read on!] It was the first time I was introduced to the game series/franchise which still remains my favorite of all time: The Legend Of Zelda. I started with Ocarina Of Time – which may explain my strong love for it – and I have been moving forward with the series ever since.

Ocarina Of Time was the first game ever to make me feel important as a non-existent character, I’m not just 8-bit Mario jumping on turtle shells; I’m actually on an adventure – defeating huge scale bosses/enemies – to stop an evil demon king from trying to take over the land!

As I mentioned before, I used to see gaming as an escape from everyday life – bullies used to push me around at school. a lot. but as soon as I got home, I was ‘the Chosen one’ who was destined to save the world! although I feared for school the next day, I was excited as heck to get back home to my room and ‘become’ my favorite video game character. Now a days, I’m an adult – last I checked – but I still play video games. Although I usually play more ‘mature’ games such as Wolfenstein or Splatterhouse, [I’m talking about the remake on the Xbox360] I will always have a soft spot for the Zelda series.

In the end, it really shouldn’t matter what games you play, or what kind of gamer you are: as long as you’re happy playing it, fuck everyone else’s opinion. I just wish someone told me that as a kid – and if someone did tell me that – I wish I would have listened. You can have the ‘best console’ with ‘the best graphics’ but nothing will compare to the classics of yesteryear, like Mario, QBert, or Legend Of Zelda. just think, all these feelings I have about video gaming started with two little Italian Plumbers: Mario and his brother Luigi.

join me tomorrow when I write a top 5 list I’ve been dreading since I started watching horror films: “warrenisweird’s top 5 clowns in horror films”. I don’t know why I do these things to myself – is it the thrill of fear? I don’t even know..